The Forest Mage's Apprentice
by MadHatterLilith
Summary: Leorio's introduction to magic was slow and unexpected. But when his "hallucinations" don't fade after graduation, his friend Zepile recommends he take a month long vacation in a purifying land, cut off from the outside world. He meets some strange characters on the outskirts of the village, like Gon and Killua, but it's the mage who lives in the forest that changed his life. AU
1. The First Signs

**I took a long break from fanfiction and HunterXHunter and now I have to many freaking fanfic ideas. Dude, why? Anyway, this one is a bit influenced by other shows, games and movies:** **Mahoutsukai no Yome, Mushi-shi (slightly), Howl's Moving Castle, and Rune Factory, mainly.**

 **A Leorio/OC fic because I love him. An OC/Canon and AU so not expecting many readers, haha. In this version, there are no Hunters or anything. Leorio's in his final year of med school after busting his hump trying to get enough money to go. He's never met Gon, Killua, and Kurapika. Welp, let's get started!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my OCs and that's not much to brag about.**

 **Chapter One: The First Signs**

It started small for him.

At first, he just heard them, chiming laughter like little bells and tiny growls not unlike a cat's. Sometimes there were other small sounds that kept him company as he studied for his final exams like the rapid beating of tiny wings, little electric buzzes as something brushed by his lamp, and the pitter-patter of tiny feet. Only when Leorio wasn't actively listening for them could he hear the sounds which, of course, only made him more worried about his own sanity. At least the sounds weren't unpleasant, he shrugged. They were quite nice and relaxing actually.

Then he started to see little ones. At first, it only happened when he crossed his eyes, the little twinkling lights and furry creatures nothing more than a fuzzy outline to him. Gradually, they became clearer to him and he started to see them when he wasn't expecting to. When using the bathroom one day, he let out an unmanly scream when he saw a tiny, bird like creature sitting on top of the toilet paper roll, staring at him. His roommate laughed and asked him what kind of meds he was on; there was nothing in the bathroom besides a terrible smell. Still, Leorio brushed it off, thinking that as long as they didn't scare him on the toilet again, he could do much worse as far as stress induced hallucinations go.

He brushed it off, of course, because he believed they'd go away soon; he'd aced all his finals and his tests! Soon, he'd graduate and go on a trip with his buddies to celebrate, leaving his strange imaginary friends behind!

At his graduation, a tiny poof-ball with miniscule eyes and short, stick like arms and legs was fiddling with the yellow tassel on his cap. Though he was confident the cute little guy was a figment of his imagination, he resisted the urge to throw his cap with his fellow graduates. He could've sworn he heard it purr when he hesitantly reached out with a finger to pet its fur. Did hallucinations feel real?

He confided in his friend Zepile that night, expecting the brown haired guy to laugh at him. But he took the aspiring doctor seriously, pulling him aside for a private chat.

"Look, after I quit making fakes and forgeries, I struggled with a lot of stuff for a while. I didn't make much money, anyone who heard about me wouldn't employ me, and my girlfriend dumped me." He spoke in a whisper, watching out for any eavesdroppers. "I got really depressed and started using drugs to cope; I was really messed up for a long time, man..."

"I'm not using anything!" Leorio hissed back, caught between being insulted by the implied accusation and being proud that Zepile would confide in him.

"I know that! I'm just saying that when I decided to go cold turkey, it was the hardest thing I ever did! But a dude in my support group told me about this secret place that he went to when he turned clean five years ago; he said that after a month there, he felt reborn, never wanted to go near any pills or that junk again." He shrugged. "I gave it a shot, thinking it was all a bunch of crap, you know?"

"Was it?"

"It was one of the hardest months of my life, man. But something about that place made me feel...clean. It was this tiny little place in the middle of nowhere where everyone knew each other and lived off the land. Not super crazy on being all green and eco friendly and all, but they were big on farming and earning your dinner. At first I hated it; withdrawal symptoms were killing me, and I didn't want to dig around in the dirt with a bunch of strangers!

"But I slowly got used to it. I got sick a few times in the start of the month but they helped me through it. The one time it was really bad in the second week, I could've sworn I saw an angel! She took care of me, and I felt safe, so safe...After that, I knew what Jean meant. I felt reborn! Full of energy, happier, and _alive_!"

"So you think going there will help me with these...things?" Zepile scribbled something down on a scale of paper and discretely passed it to him with a shrug.

"Probably. I mean, when I was there, I...I saw things like that too." He sheepishly admitted. "But not since."

A few days later, all his friends were setting out on the celebration trip of a lifetime. So was Leorio, of course, but he wasn't going on a trip to drink and make merry, knowing he had finally gotten through the hell that was school. Unfolding the piece of paper Zepile had given him for the hundredth time, he wondered if this was really worth it.

The village was inaccessible by plane but the nearest town had a port. After that, it was an hour long trip by car, and a three hour walk through a dense forest trail. "Talk about the middle of nowhere..." He sighed, rubbing his numb and heavy arm. "At least I won't get sick too easy; stupid guy forgot to update his shots before leaving the country!"

Even as he grumbled, he knew in his heart that something was there for him. He wasn't sure what yet, but he had a nagging feeling in his gut that said going there would be the start of something big. Even though he grumbled the whole time, dragging the heavy suitcase he bought himself as a graduation present, Leorio boarded the ship with the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

The boat rocked. And not in a good way, either. Just his luck, Leorio had left at a bad time, only to get caught up in a storm that the captain called one of the year's worst.

"These come out of nowhere in this part of the sea." The man had nodded sagely, his red nose making Leorio wonder if he was drunk. "Why you heading all the way out there anyways, city boy? Nothing really to see in Eelry besides fish, kelp, and, well, eels. They raise them, you know. Bunch of crazy people if you ask me, but they make good seafood."

"I'm thinking of doing a round-world trip..." Leorio unskillfully lied; he was terrible at hiding the truth, stupidly honest at heart. The captain hummed, unconvinced.

"They say there's some rare produce you can only get there. Perfect vegetables that last twice as long and fill you with energy, milk that takes forever to spoil, and stuff. Nobody knows where it comes from but it's almost magical, they say." The captain nodded to himself, watching Leorio's face carefully. Apparently, he was pleased with the look of confusion he saw because he grinned widely, slapping the young man on the back. "If you find some, bring a bit back for us, city boy!"

Later that day, a timid young crewman almost fell overboard. Leorio grabbed him, thankful for his long arms, and pulled him away from the side. "Be more careful!" He warned the guy despite having even less experience on ships. Two hours later, he stitched up the sole cook's hand after an unfortunate accident with a rather sharp knife. Since the guy was in no state to cook, he helped out with that too, following dirrections to a T to create all sorts of strange dishes he'd never even heard of before.

Needless to say, the crew was sad to see him leave in the end. Leorio grinned widely as they saw him off like one of their own. Even if there was nothing special about the village after all, at least he tried something new and made some friends.

As to be expected of a fisherman's town, the stench of seafood filled the air, each stall offering a different kind of catch. Even after being at sea for a while didn't prepare him for just how... _fishy_ the place was! People bought by the pound, shopping at the huge fish market the way he had at supermarkets, buying whole weeks worth to freeze.

"You're lucky you came to down now, buddy!" A buff, suntanned man slapped him on the shoulder with a giant grin. "Today's the month's bigest fish sale! Plus it's all You Can Eat Challenge Wednesday!"

"What's that all about?" Leorio asked, liking the sound of "all you can eat".

"It's an eating challenge! You're given a huge amount of food, the shop's biggest servings, and you have to eat it in the time limit to get your entry fee back!" Seeing the disappointed look on Leorio's face, the guide leaned in and whispered, "Look, we only really have fish here so we'll do pretty much anything for tourism. It might not really be all you can eat, but it draws a better crowd with that name."

Well, at least the guides were honest. "Where can I rent a car around here?" He asked, impatient to get on his way.

"A car? Well, old man Lucas has one he might let you borrow. Or you could hitch a ride with him if you're going to the forest! We get a few eccentrics like that now and then." The guide rolled his eyes. "Never see a lot of them again. Probably got eaten in the woods, I think. Dunno what they're looking for around there!" _Oh, so they don't know about the village, huh?_ Leorio thought, paying the man for his help. "Thanks, man! I'll flag Old Lucas down for ya'!"

Old man Lucas was _not_ old. Leorio soon found himself eye to eye with a very scary looking, very buff, and very tired man. That, in his mind, was never a good combination. Running a hand through his light, shaggy hair, Lucas glared at anyone who looked at him strange for still being in his pajamas. "What ya' want, city boy?"

 _Again with that nickname..._

"I was hoping to hitch a ride to the forest." He tried to say with a bit of confidence, but when Lucas furrowed his brow in confusion, he felt like running for cover. Any guy who could look scary in pink pajamas was nobody to be messed with.

"Oh, now I remember!" Lucas's face brightened as he slapped himself on the head. "Zepile told me he had a friend coming to visit. Leorio, right? He told me you were _fond of nature._ " He grinned knowingly.

"Yeah, that's me...Wait, you know Zepile?!" The bigger man laughed, a booming and friendly sound. Motioning to Leorio to follow, he walked to his garage.

"Yeah, we're in the same support group. I only attend a few meetings a year now. Jean-Lucas, recovered drug addict. Nice to meet you." Unlocking it, he tiptoed around all his scattered tools to get to his truck. "Sorry about the mess; I thought I'd have more time to clean before you got here. My boat hit a storm too so it took a week to get here. Yours only took three and a half days! Talk about lucky!"

"So you also, uh, _enjoy nature?_ " Leorio asked, remembering the phase from before. It seemed almost like key-words, telling him to be careful of what he said here.

"Of course! I was the one who told Zepile about the forest after all." He flashed Leorio a toothy grin.

"An angel, huh? I think I know what he means!" Jean nodded. "I saw something similar in my first week. I ate some gross looking mushrooms—which seemed like a good idea at the time—and got sick. Big shock, right? But while I was in and out of it from the poison, I saw this young girl giving me this disappointed look." He laughed loudly. "I felt so embarrassed! Like I disappointed my ma' or something!"

Leorio laughed with him as well, trying to imagine a man as tough and scary as him being intimidated by a girl.

"But what's weird is, I met everyone in the village and even the outskirts of the village soon after that. She wasn't there! Nobody would tell me who she was. Never saw her again either."

"So she just showed up out of nowhere?" Leorio asked curiously, scratching his head. "Nah, that'd be impossible..."

"Don't be so sure!" Jean winked, a big grin on his face. "This land is strange! When I lived there, I could've sworn it was magic. Heck, I thought I saw, well, things...After I left, I didn't see them anymore. I missed them...They're mischievous buggers, but you can't help but love them. The fairies, I mean." He grinned sheepishly. "You can laugh if you want. But I really believe that's what they are."

"Nah, I looked them up a couple times." Leorio admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I just figured I was stressed out so bad I was imagining them." _Turns out the darn things are real...So that's where all my socks were going after all._ He sighed, thinking of all the things he'd have to replace once he got back home.

"We're almost there...Hey, you know about the forest Guardians? You'll know them when you see them but...remember to be polite. If you act scared or hostile, they'll kill you to protect their land. So if you see one, don't worry about looking dumb. Just bow and introduce yourself. If they bow back, you're in the clear. If not, don't move until they leave. Turn around and come back. If you're not back in five hours, I'll assume you got through safe. Got it?"

Though he was so nervous that he felt like he might hurl, Leorio nodded as confidently as he could.

 **Not a great first chapter but I tried. It'll get better, I swear. Anyway, tell me what you think. I don't really have much else to look forward to than** **feedback, haha. But the next chapter, the main character, the heroine for this fic will appear. I like her character and hope you'll like her too. She's a real cutie.**


	2. The Forest Monster

**Chapter Two! A lot of major characters get introduced this time.** **And thank you guest reviewer Fox! I didn't notice my typos; my phone either ignores them or makes them worse lol You really helped me out there.**

 **Chapter Two** : **The Forest Monster**

The forest was a lot scarier than he'd expected which was honestly a ridiculous thing to think about a forest that looked like it came out of a fairy tale. The grass was lush and bright, the sunlight shone through the bright leaves on the giant trees, and there were little fairies watching him from everywhere. Actually, the fairies were the creepiest part; their tiny eyes followed his every movement, suspicious and fascinated. Shuddering, Leorio tried to brush off the feeling of hundreds of little eyes staring at him.

At least the path was clear and easy to spot, he thought. I'll be out of here in no time! That was, of course, before he saw the bear.

It was huge; the nearby trees shook as it slowly walked into the trail ahead of Leorio. The med school graduate froze up, fighting his instincts to run like the wind. This isn't a normal bear! He thought over and over, forcing himself to stay put as the suprisingly well groomed animal stared him down, showing neither claw nor fang.

"I'm Leorio Paladiknight." He bowed deeply, trying not to stare at the strange crown of grass and flowers that grew from the bear's skull or the soft light that illuminated it. Staying as still as he could, he internally prayed for his soul, starting to believe that Lucas had been talking crap the whole time. _I'll haunt you for years, you lying old man!_ Finally, with a growl that sounded like laughter, the bear bowed back, causing a stir of chittering from the fairies.

He was careful not to lift his head until the bear left, still making the same strange growling. When he did, he glanced over at a low hanging tree branch where a small group of tiny creatures, each a different species of fairy life, were chatting animatedly. Their language was always nice to hear, familiar but strange. Honestly, it was one of the first things he liked about the little guys.

He carefully made his way down the path again, listening to the peaceful sounds of the forest to calm his nerves. _This place just goes on forever..._ He groaned, his feet starting to ache.

"Eh?" Leorio said someone say. "There's somebody else here?!" The voice belonged to a young boy in bright green who excitedly ran towards Leorio. "Wow! Faye was right! Hi!" The boy waved his hands excitedly, accidently knocking Leorio on the head with his fishing pole.

"Ow! Kid, watch where you swing that!" Leorio snapped, rubbing his forehead. Gon just grinned apologetically, his big brown eyes still twinkling with curiosity. _No good, I can't get mad at this kid._ Leorio thought, grumbling about how he was probably going to have a bruise. Gon was barely half his height, even with his spiked up hair and boots.

"Sorry, we haven't gotten any visitors in forever! I was thinking it'd be Bisky or Ging, so I was really surprised! Are you going to be staying for a while?! Do you know the way?! What's your name?! I'm Gon! Gon Frecces!"

 _What a ball of energy..._ Leorio smiled. _It must be impossible for anyone to keep up with him._ "Ah, I'm Leorio. I'll be staying in the village for a while. Good to meet you!" He grinned widely, pushing up his pointless sunglasses.

"Eh...I guess we won't see each other much then..." Gon hummed, looking a bit disappointed. "Ah, I smell Killua! Killua, I found him!"

"Gon, stop yelling!" Another young boy yelled back, ruffling his white hair. "Is it Ging or the old hag?" Once the other boy, the same age as Gon, saw Leorio, he tensed up, reaching in his pocket for something.

"It's Leorio!" Gon cheerily exclaimed to his friend's great annoyance.

"Who's that?!" Killua snapped back. "That doesn't mean anything, idiot! If it's a stranger, just say so! Jeez!"

"Eh, but he told me his name, so he's not a stranger..." Gon replied innocently, tilting his head to the side in confusion. Killua groaned in frustration; this was their usual routine, Leorio guessed.

"You know, kid, you shouldn't trust people so easy..." Leorio tried to explain, but Gon smiled brightly.

"It's okay! The forest guardian didn't kill you, so you're not a bad person!" Gon gave him a thumbs up, but he didn't exactly feel encouraged by that. _It might've killed me?!_ Leorio shuddered at the thought if that giant beast ripping him to shreds.

"Damn, Zepile! He didn't say a thing about any of that!" He cursed under his breath, vowing to punch that jerk as soon as he got back. "My life could've been in danger!"

"Oh, you know Zepile?" Killua relaxed slightly, suprise in his eyes. "I guess you're in the clear then..." Under his breath, he seemingly absentmindedly added, "Besides, if you were someone hired by _him,_ you'd at least be able to use Zetsu to cover your tracks..." Back at a normal volume, he called out, "Gon! Let's start heading home now!"

Gon just nodded, grinning. "Nice to meet you, Leorio! Good luck with the villagers!"

"Hey, wait!" Before Leorio could ask what the heck that was supposed to mean, the two boys had vanished, running faster than anyone Leorio had ever seen. Somehow, he could only hear one set of footsteps from the pair. "Great, everything about this trip is insane!" Grumbling, he trudged on, still a bit unnerved but a bit more relaxed.

The forest was vast and the road through was long. Along the way, he made serval short stops, too paranoid to take a long break. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was being followed. Was it the fairies? No, the feeling was too ominous for it to be the same little creatures that had watched him earlier. It wasn't Gon or Killua either; not only had he seen them leave, they obviously knew how to be freakishly quiet.

His suspicions only grew as he got closer to the forest's edge, a distant clearing in sight. His pulse spiked, the hair on the back of his neck stood up, and his skin prickled with goosebumps. Something was watching him, hiding away in the shade of the treetops. He couldn't see it but he could feel it; it just oozed bloodlust! _It'll probably have the advantage in the forest._ Leorio quickly decided, _it's better to lure it out!_

Picking up his pace with one hand in his pants pocket, reaching for his knife, Leorio ran on the trail, hearing loud rustling from the trees as the thing followed him from above. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see the thing's silhouette peeking through the green leaves. It was somewhat human, but he could immediately tell that it was definitely something much too twisted and evil to be human. It's flesh was...No, he decided, it wasn't flesh, it was goop, somehow sticking to a vaguely human shape. Its eyes were beedy red lights in the darkness, fixated on him. Though it crouched in the branches like an animal, something told him to not underestimate it; it was dangerous because it was just as intelligent as it was blood-thirsty.

"What the hell is that thing...?!" Terrified but ready to fight, Leorio pulled the pocket knife out, only a few steps away from exiting the forest. As soon as his foot toughed the green grass of the clearing, he turned to face the monstrous creature. As he expected, it tried to follow him. But...

With an animalistic shriek, the thing lept back as if burned, fleeing in fear. "Oh, you must be Leorio!" The exhausted doctor to be tuned, shocked by the voice of the old man who crept up on him. "I'm the village Elder, Reginald. Come, you must be tired! I'll show you to your home!"

"Huh?! But what about that...that thing?! The one that was chasing me?!" Leorio exclaimed, waving his arms wildly despite the knife in his hand, which was honestly a bad idea but he was too freaked out to care. "It was dying to kill someone! Shouldn't somebody stop it?!"

"Calm down, kid!" Normally, almost nobody would call a man in his early twenties a kid but the Elder was old, with as many wrinkles from age as laughter, and very much done with young men who come to his village spouting crazy crap and waving weapons. Honestly, if he wanted to deal with that, he'd live in the city! "There's nothing in those woods to be afraid of! Even our bears are tame after years and years of peaceful cohabitation! There's nothing to worry about!"

"Old man, didn't you hear that?!" Leorio freaked out. "That wasn't a bear or anything like that! I don't know what that thing was, but it was dangerous!"

The old but youthful Reginald rolled his eyes. "I should've expected this when Zepile sent a letter over. All our visitors are crazy or hopped up on something! Just wonderful...Come on, boy, there's nothing in those woods! I've lived near them throughout my very long life, and nothing in the woods has ever tried to hurt me!"

"I'm telling you, old man, that the thing in there isn't an animal!" Leorio argued, still shaken.

"He's right, Grandpa! Several of the village children have seen a monster in the woods!" A young woman with bright blonde hair agreed as she quickly approached, her eyes full of worry. Covered in dirt and mud, it was obvious that she had rushed to get there. "You said it's probably their imagination, but every one of them said they saw the exact same thing! A human-like creature with sludge for flesh and—"

"Shining red eyes?" Leorio guessed, and the young girl nodded earnestly, clutching the hem of her short brown dress, her mud covered legs shaking with fear or anger; he couldn't tell which by looking at her.

"Exactly! They say it gets closer and closer to the village! Whatever's keeping it out won't last for long! I know you don't like them, but perhaps we should ask for help! None of the adults can see it!" The Elder's granddaughter insisted. "They might be our only hope of keeping the children safe!" Her grandfather frowned, his eyes fierce.

"We can do for ourselves without those freaks!" He spat. "There's nothing in those woods, girl! Even if there was, who's to say they won't team up together to hurt us?! Freaks and monsters...They deserve each other!" His granddaughter, clearly enraged, clicked her tounge, turned on her heel, and began to storm off. "Where do you think you're going, child?!"

"To the forest witch! Where else?!" She shouted back, gray eyes shining with determination. "Are you coming with me, newcomer?!" After a few seconds of rather easy deliberation, Leorio decided that he would rather stick with the pretty girl than the rude old man. He was only a guy after all!

Suddenly, the words Gon said made a but more sense; he didn't live in the village with everyone else. He and Killua lived on the edge of it, isolated and shunned. "Ah, Leorio!" The cheerful green bean waved excitedly. "Did you get kicked out already?!"

"Don't say that like I'm some sort of bad dude!" Leorio shot back, smiling a bit at a friendly face. Killua was with him as well, holding hands with a young girl with long black hair. Though he met Leorio before and dismissed him as a threat, his blue eyes narrowed suspiciously as he tried to hide the girl behind him. Of course, she wasn't having that and craned her neck while on her tiptoes, excited to see a new person. Leorio waved, smiling at the adorable kid.

"Hey, Alluka!" Killua fussed, "We're in hiding, remember?!" She pouted, making Killua feel guilty and cave instantly. Gon laughed at how soft the white haired boy was when it came to her which earned him a half hearted and embarrassed glare. They were definitely family, Leorio chuckled.

The blond girl spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "Where's the forest witch? The children are being haunted by a mysterious monster!" _This girl has a strangely formal way of talking..._ Leorio noted, starting to feel like something about her was off. Nothing about her felt natural.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who felt that way because Killua and Gon both tensed up when they saw her, Killua once more hiding his little sister behind him. "Alluka...Go inside and hide, okay? I'll be back soon, I promise!" The white haired boy calmly ordered, reaching into the pockets of his shorts for something.

The blonde next to him grit her teeth, her hands balled up into shaking fists. That's when Leorio was sure, pulling out his knife with no hesitation. "You're not the Elder's real granddaughter, are you?!" This feeling was too eerily familiar for it to be a coincidence, the bloodlust radiating from the girl making his heart hammer in fear again. _The thing from before...how?!_

"Damn, here I was thinking I could get in if I just possessed the right body!" The girl shrugged with a face splitting grin. "Oh well...It's not like you'd kill an innocent like sweet farmer girl Ann just to get rid of me, right? You magic types are such softies..."

"Not all of us." The voice of a woman cut through the heavy atmosphere, cool and confident. "I thought I could ignore you for a little longer, but I suppose you're a quick learner after all." The voice belonged to a woman in a white, hooded cloak that reached down to her ankles. The patterns of black roses and thorns on the fabric seemed to move with her as she walked. Was it a trick of the eyes? Or were the thorned vines really moving? The hood was pulled over her head, all but a few stray locks of her jet black hair hidden by thick black and white fabric. "You wish to face me, correct? Take me to your main body; I'd like to get this done quickly."

"So you're the witch of the forest, huh? That protection spell you cast hurt like hell! At least...it used to. What's wrong, you losing your touch?" The thing possessing Ann taunted. "Not that I mind; you'll be easier to kill this way!"

"No. Only my patience." The witch replied, tapping her foot. "Let's go already." Her voice was cold and sharp, yet at the same time, she sounded bored with the thing's taunts. Ann clicked her tongue in irritation, motioning for the witch to follow her. The hooded figure did so without another word, casting a curious glance in Leorio's direction.

He knew that wasn't, by any means, an invitation to tag along. But his feet moved before his brain could catch up, and he ran after the shockingly fast pair. _It's okay,_ he eventually decided, _they'll probably need a doctor._ Right, he could blame it on being a doctor in training even if he didn't really know why he chased after them. Those years of med school had to be good for something, right?

 **The timeline in this is a bit screwy but will make sense as the story goes on. This feels a bit rushed to me but I'll try to do better with the next chapter. (I really just wanted to write cool battle Faye before I wrote natural Faye.) Gon is going to be like Gon on caffeine for a while because there's a new person and he hasn't met any new people in a while.**


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